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Front Row Motorsports: Atlanta Motor Speedway Competition Notes (Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Aaron’s Rent to Own Ford Team)

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Official Release
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Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Aaron’s Rent to Own Ford Team
Atlanta Motor Speedway Competition Notes
Ambetter Health 400
Date: Sunday, February 23, 2025
Event: Race 3 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5-miles)
#of Laps: 260
Time/TV/Radio: 3:00 PM ET on FOX/PRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Todd Gilliland Notes

Todd Gilliland returns to the Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Gilliland and the team will have a new partner on the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse as Aaron’s Rent to Own will make their return to NASCAR this weekend with Front Row Motorsports.

Aaron’s is proud to restore their legendary connection to NASCAR and resume their place in the NASCAR Cup Series. The lease-to-own retailer will team up with FRM in a multi-race partnership, showcasing their brand with Todd Gilliland’s and Zane Smith’s Ford Mustang Dark Horses throughout the 2025 season. “NASCAR has always been in our DNA, and teaming up with Front Row Motorsports feels like a natural fit for us at Aaron’s,” shared Cory Miller, Aaron’s interim CEO. “It’s not just another partnership – it’s where our drive for innovation meets the raw thrill of NASCAR, creating a winning combination that I’m truly excited about.”

Showing impressive speed and drafting skills during last week’s Daytona 500, Gilliland currently sits 22nd in the Driver Points standings. He secured valuable stage points in Stage Two at Daytona and is now focused on continuing that momentum at Atlanta, with hope of earning the race win.

Atlanta has proven to be a good track for Gilliland, qualifying within the top five in the last two events at the 1.5-mile speedway and leading a race high 58 laps in February 2024.

“I can’t wait to hit the track with Aaron’s,” said Gilliland. “They are one of the most recognizable brands in the history of NASCAR, and I’m super excited to represent that legacy on the track this year. Atlanta has been a good track for me. Its superspeedway style of racing creates a great show and puts me in contention for a good result. Hopefully, I can put Aaron’s in Victory Lane in their first race back in the sport.”
Road Crew

Driver: Todd Gilliland
Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
Hometown: Medway, Ohio

Car Chief: Joe Marra
Hometown: Somers, New York

Engineer: Marc Rullo
Hometown: Ringwood, New Jersey

Engineer: Kevyn Rebolledo
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Brit Andersen
Hometown: Branford, Connecticut

Underneath Mechanic: Michael Brookes
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Interior Mechanic: Chance Burke
Hometown: Siler City, North Carolina

Tire Specialist: Billy John
Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Tim Meyer
Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska

Transporter Co-Driver: Christian Boller
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Joe Haresky
Hometown: Victorville, California

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Rear Tire Changer: Justin Fox
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jordan Goodine
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Jackman: Courtney Edmonds
Hometown: Burlington, North Carolina

Fueler: Zeke Nance
Hometown: Calhoun, Georgia

ABOUT AARON’S

Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron’s Company, Inc. is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture, and other home goods. Aaron’s offers a direct-to-consumer lease-to-own solution through its approximately 1,200 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Hendrick Motorsports returns for 16-race Xfinity campaign in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) will be fielding the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet entry for 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series events throughout the 2025 season. Between the 16-race schedule, Corey Day, a development competitor for HMS, will share the entry with the organization’s four Cup Series competitors, including Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson.

Byron, who is coming off his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory, will pilot the No. 17 entry in its first appearance of the 2025 Xfinity season at Circuit of the Americas on March 1st. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native will make his second and final Xfinity start of this season at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his home track, on May 24th.

As for Byron’s three Cup Series teammates, Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, will campaign in his first Xfinity start at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 22nd before he returns to compete at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 12th. Bowman, a three-time Daytona 500 pole winner and eight-time Cup race winner from Tucson, Arizona, will make his lone Xfinity start of this season at Phoenix Raceway, his home track, on March 8th, while Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion from Dawsonville, Georgia, will pilot the No. 17 entry for his lone Xfinity start in 2025 at Darlington Raceway on April 5th.

Meanwhile, Day, the 2023 King of the West Spring Car Series champion and Make-A-Wish Trophy Cup champion from Clovis, California, will make his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 17 entry at Martinsville Speedway on March 29th. He will compete at Texas Motor Speedway on May 3rd before returning to race at Nashville Speedway on May 31st, Sonoma Raceway on July 12th, and Iowa Speedway on August 2nd. Once the 2025 Xfinity Series Playoffs commences, Day’s Xfinity campaign will continue at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 12th, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on October 4th, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 11th, and Martinsville on October 25th before concluding with the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway on November 1st.

Throughout the 16-race effort, Adam Wall will be serving as the crew chief. Wall, a veteran engineer for HMS and JR Motorsports (JRM), spent this past season as an Xfinity crew chief between JRM’s Nos. 8 and 9 Chevrolet teams that were piloted by Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones, respectively.

“We’re pleased to continue our sponsorship of the No. 17 team, which has driven significant traffic to HendrickCars.com and helped support the broader goals of Hendrick Automotive Group,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, said in a released statement. “With Adam, we have one of the sharpest young crew chiefs in the garage area leading our team. The Xfinity Series competition is tough, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

HMS debuted the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet entry in four Xfinity events during the 2022 season as the entry was split between Bowman, Byron, and Larson, the latter of whom competed in two events. Together, the trio recorded a combined two poles, three top-five results, and 71 laps led. The entry would return for six Xfinity events in 2023 as Elliott, Larson, and Rajah Caruth joined the latter three in the organization’s driver lineup. During the latter season, the No. 17 entry was piloted to one pole, three top-three results, a total of four top-10 results, and 68 laps led. In October 2023, Boris Said attempted to compete in the No. 17 entry at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, but he failed to qualify.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 23: Kyle Larson, driver of the #17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on March 23, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

This past season, HMS fielded the No. 17 entry for 10 Xfinity events as Bowman, Byron, Elliott, Larson, and Said took turns piloting the entry. At Circuit of the Americas in March, Larson overtook Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill on the final lap amid two overtime attempts to record the entry’s first elusive victory in the Xfinity circuit. Two months later, Elliott utilized a pit strategy to win at Charlotte. Larson and Elliott’s victories were HMS’s first in the Xfinity Series since Tony Stewart won at Daytona International Speedway in February 2009. They also tallied the win total of HMS in the Xfinity circuit to 25.

Through a combined 359 starts in the Xfinity Series, HMS has notched 40 poles, 116 top-five results, 165 top-10 results, 5,847 laps led, and 25 race victories. The organization pursues more victories with its five-driver lineup and expanded schedule.

The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series part-time campaign for Hendrick Motorsports will commence at Circuit of the Americas for the Focused Health 250 on March 1st. The event will be broadcast at 2:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

Haas Factory Team Advance | Atlanta I

By
Official Release
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Atlanta Event Info:
Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Hampton, Georgia
Format: 200 Laps, Stages: 60-100-100
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 5 p.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 11 a.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 5 p.m. ET, Xfinity Race (CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Cup Race (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts race No. 2 on the NASCAR Cup Series season this weekend, marking two-straight speedway races to kick off the 2025 campaign.
  • There have been four different winners across six total races on the reconfigured Atlanta track.
  • Last season’s Cup spring race saw a record number of lead changes at the track, 48, and there has been a final lead change with two or fewer laps to go in four of the last five Atlanta races.

Cole Custer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: 3D Systems

Sheldon Creed Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Friends of Jaclyn

Sam Mayer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: Audibel

Custer at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Cup)
Starts: 6
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —

  • Custer makes his 7th Cup start at Atlanta this weekend where he has posted one top-10 finish in his career.
  • He finished 9th in the 2022 fall Atlanta race, and led one lap the year prior in 2021 before settling for 17th.

Creed at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Xfinity)
Starts: 6
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —

  • Creed is set to make his 7th Xfinity start at Atlanta this weekend, where he finished P4 in the spring last season. He has two career top-10s at the track, including a 9th-place finish in his Xfinity Series debut at the track in 2022.
  • Over six races, Creed holds an average qualifying position of 9.8, and has started inside the top-15 in every race.

Mayer at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Xfinity)
Starts: 7
Wins: —
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

Mayer makes his 8th Xfinity start at Atlanta this week where he has recorded three top-10 finishes in his career. His lone top-5 came in the fall of 2023, where he started and finished 5th.

Where They Stand

Cup Points Standings (41: 27th): Custer sits 27th in the points through one race this season.

Xfinity Points Standings (00: 2nd, 41: 5th): Creed is the current Xfinity points leader as he gained a race-high 51 points at Daytona. Mayer is 5th in the points standings after gathering 35 points in the season-opener.

Aaron’s Returns to NASCAR with Front Row Motorsports in Multi-Race Partnership

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Official Release
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Lease-to-Own Retailer to Partner with Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 19, 2025)- After much speculation and hype, Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is excited to announce a new partnership with Aaron’s.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s is a leading provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture, and other home goods with nearly 1,200 locations in 47 states and Canada.

Aaron’s is proud to restore their legendary connection to NASCAR and resume their place in the NASCAR Cup Series. The lease-to-own retailer will team up with FRM in a multi-race partnership, showcasing their brand with Todd Gilliland’s and Zane Smith’s Ford Mustang Dark Horses throughout the 2025 season.

“NASCAR has always been in our DNA, and teaming up with Front Row Motorsports feels like a natural fit for us at Aaron’s,” shared Cory Miller, Aaron’s interim CEO. “It’s not just another partnership – it’s where our drive for innovation meets the raw thrill of NASCAR, creating a winning combination that I’m truly excited about.”

Aaron’s season will kick off at the Atlanta (G.A.) Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 23rd with Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Team. In 2024, Gilliland qualified fourth and led a race high 58 laps in NASCAR’s February visit to the Hampton, Georgia track.

“I can’t wait to hit the track with Aaron’s,” said Gilliland. “They are one of the most recognizable brands in the history of NASCAR, and I’m super excited to represent that legacy on the track this year.”

“Atlanta has been a good track for me. Its superspeedway style of racing creates a great show and puts me in contention for a good result. Hopefully, I can put Aaron’s in Victory Lane in their first race back in NASCAR.”

Aaron’s season will continue with Zane Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team in seven NASCAR Cup Series events, starting at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on March 9th.

The full race schedule for Aaron’s this season includes:

No. 34 Aaron’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse

· 2/23- Atlanta Motor Speedway

No. 38 Aaron’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse

· 3/9- Phoenix Raceway

· 3/16- Homestead-Miami Speedway

· 4/13- Bristol Motor Speedway

· 6/28- Atlanta Motor Speedway

· 7/27- Indianapolis Motor Speedway

· 8/23- Daytona International Speedway

· 11/2- Phoenix Raceway

“I’m really excited to be a part of Aaron’s next chapter in NASCAR.” said Smith. “They’ve been one of the most recognizable brands in the history of the sport, and I can’t wait to have them on the 38 car throughout the 2025 season.”

Aaron’s return to NASCAR will take place on February 23rd at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Fans can watch the action live on FOX or listen in from the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

ABOUT AARON’S

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture, and other home goods. Aaron’s offers a direct-to-consumer lease-to-own solution through its approximately 1,200 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Strengthens Global Broadcast Reach in 2025

By
Official Release
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St. Petersburg, FL - during the 2024 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

International Expansion Increases Global Visibility of North America’s Premier Open-Wheel Series

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025) – INDYCAR is set to reach a wide global audience during its 17-race 2025 season. A robust list of international partners, including new media and broadcast relationships, will bring the star competitors and iconic events of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to audiences in more than 200 countries and territories.

INDYCAR LIVE, the series’ direct-to-consumer streaming service, will continue to provide audiences in markets without a dedicated international partner with access to live practice, qualifying and races for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the INDYCAR development series, INDY NXT by Firestone. Along with on-track activity, INDYCAR LIVE includes a live stream of in-car cameras from the race, post-race highlights and exclusive feature content.

“The continued growth and appeal of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is reflected in this expansion of our international partners and coverage offerings for the most competitive racing series on the planet,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles. “A total of 11 nations will be represented among the full-time 27-driver lineup this season, making reach and availability more important than ever for our fans. It is gratifying to see this impactful list of new and renewed partners as the NTT INDYCAR SEREIS reaches larger audiences around the globe.”

Partnerships for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season include:

  • A new relationship with Motorvision+ across Germany, Austria and Switzerland will bring live coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to German-speaking markets.
  • ESPN adds highlights plus live Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge coverage across sub-Saharan Africa as INDYCAR’s partner in the region and continues to broadcast all races live across Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, where audiences can follow the rising stardom of seven-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner Pato O’Ward and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves as he aims for another win at the historic oval.
  • In Spain, every race will now be broadcast live on #Vamos as well as Movistar+, delivering broader reach to fans of reigning series champion Alex Palou as he aims for his third straight and fourth overall title.
  • Viaplay continues its coverage in the Nordics for fans to follow Swedish drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist, as well as Danish drivers Christian Lundgaard and Christian Rasmussen.
  • Canada’s sports leader, TSN, will continue to provide live streaming of INDYCAR coverage in Canada on TSN+, with network coverage of seven races, including the Indianapolis 500 and the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, as audiences also can follow Canadian driver Devlin DeFrancesco as he returns to the series in 2025.
  • Sky Group channels Sky Sports UK, Sky Sport Germany (including Austria and Switzerland) and Sky Sport Italia will return in 2025.
  • Sky Sport in New Zealand continues to provide INDYCAR coverage of Kiwis Scott Dixon, Marcus Armstrong and Scott McLaughlin.
  • Fans of two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Will Power can follow in Australia on STAN Sport, while sister network Nine Network will air mid-week race highlights.
  • Ziggo Sport will continue to provide coverage in the Netherlands for fans to follow Dutch driver Rinus VeeKay.
  • Additional returning broadcasters of INDYCAR in 2025 include Gaora in Japan, Sport TV in Portugal, Canal+ in France and French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, S Sport in Turkey, Romania, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Network 4 in Hungary, Voo Sport in Belgium and TV Cultura in Brazil.
  • INDY NXT by Firestone also continues to gain ground with first-time coverage in the Nordics with Viaplay, while German fans can follow Sophia Floersch’s rookie year on Sky Sport and Motorvision+. Further coverage will be provided on ESPN throughout Latin America, REV TV in Canada and Sky Sport in the UK.

WHAT INDYCAR’S DRIVERS ARE SAYING

“It is always so important to get support from fans back home. I’m excited the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will have more exposure for fans in Spain with races live on #Vamos and Movistar+ and hope they watch as the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda team fights for more race wins and another championship this season.” – Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

“One of the great things about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is that, while it is a North American sport, there are drivers from all over the world. My home country of New Zealand has always punched above its weight in motorsports. There are several of us in the series right now, so it’s crucial that we have partners like Sky Sport and STAN Sport to carry us back to our fans at home. I really believe they are in for the best season of INDYCAR racing yet.” – Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske

“It’s really awesome that Viaplay will continue to broadcast INDYCAR back home. I think it’s really important for people all around the world to have access to this amazing sport, and, of course, it’s always great to have the support from back home. Viaplay really does a great job with INDYCAR’s coverage, and I’m excited to see that continue this season.” – Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing

“Super happy to hear that ESPN will continue broadcast coverage of INDYCAR back home. There’s so many passionate fans in Latin America that love INDYCAR, and it’s great that they can continue to watch every race and be able to enjoy a sport that I truly love.” – Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing

“I think INDYCAR is so much more than a North American sport. We have drivers from all over the world, and we have fans from all over the world. I know from my home country, Sweden, there’s a ton of people that watch all the races and follow everything INDYCAR. To have that coverage and get partners all around the world showing the great sport of INDYCAR is super important and crucial for the growth of the sport.” – Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global

“One of the best things about INDYCAR and motorsports is that it has fans around the world. When I was a kid in Mexico, it was so cool for me to be able to watch my favorite drivers on TV. The international coverage and partnerships are so important because they bring the sport around the world and help grow INDYCAR.” – Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren

The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins Sunday, March 2 at noon ET with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. The start of the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season begins the same day, also on the streets of St. Petersburg, at 10 a.m. ET. A full list of international broadcast partners is available here.

RFK Advance | Atlanta I

By
Official Release
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Atlanta Event Info:
Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Hampton, Georgia
Format: 200 Laps, Stages: 60-100-100
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 11 a.m. ET, Qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Race (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts race No. 2 on the NASCAR Cup Series season this weekend, marking two-straight speedway races to kick off the 2025 campaign.
  • There have been four different winners across six total races on the reconfigured Atlanta track.
  • Last season’s spring race saw a record number of lead changes at the track, 48, and there has been a final lead change with two or fewer laps to go in four of the last five Atlanta races.
  • Jack Roush has 13 wins all-time in Atlanta including six in the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • Chris Buescher brought home RFK’s lone top-10 finish in either of the Atlanta races a season ago, finishing ninth in the spring race.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal

60 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Kroger

Keselowski at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Starts: 20
Wins: 2 (2017, 2019)
Top-10s: 11
Poles: —

  • Keselowski makes his 21st Cup start at Atlanta this weekend where he is a two-time winner with an average finish of 15.2.
  • Keselowski won at the now Superspeedway’s first race in 2017 after starting fifth, and again in 2019. He is one of four active drivers with multiple wins at Atlanta.
  • Overall, he’s led laps in 11 different Atlanta races and finished in the top-10 11 times.
  • He carries an average starting position of 15.6 into the weekend with a career-best effort of P2 in 2014. Overall, he has six top-10 starts, including a P4 starting spot in the spring of 2022.
  • He also has eight Xfinity Series starts with six top-10s including two P2 finishes. In the Truck series, he’s made four career starts.

Buescher at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Starts: 13
Wins: —
Top-10s: 4
Poles: —

  • Buescher makes his 14th Cup start in Atlanta where he has posted four top-10s and a best finish of seventh (twice – 2021, 2022). He also finished ninth in 2019 and 2024.
  • Buescher has an average qualifying position of 17.8, and has qualified seventh in each of the last two spring Atlanta races.

Preece at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Starts: 8
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

Preece makes his 9th Cup start in Atlanta where he has best finish of 16th in the spring race last season.
He holds an average starting position of 23.6, including a 13th starting spot in the fall of 2023.

RFK Historically at Atlanta
Cup Wins: 6 (Mark Martin, 1991, 1994; Kurt Busch, 2002; Carl Edwards, 2005, 2005, 2008)

  • RFK at Atlanta: RFK has 281 starts at AMS in NASCAR’s three major touring series totaling 13 wins, 60 top fives, 115 top-10s and nine poles while leading 3,267 laps and turning over 110,000 miles.
  • AMS/RFK History: RFK competed in its first NASCAR event at AMS on March 20, 1988, finishing 31st after getting involved in an early crash. Just three years later the organization claimed its first win there in the fall of ‘91 with the No. 6 Ford. RFK won its first of seven NXS races at the track in the spring of ’97. The team’s top outing at AMS came in the fall of 2005, when the organization placed four cars inside the top seven, with three cars finishing in the top five including race winner Carl Edwards. Altogether, in the two races at AMS in 2005, RFK posted six top-five finishes and two wins.
  • Spring Forward: All but one of RFK’s Cup wins at AMS came in the fall, with the only spring win coming in 2005. Three of RFK’s seven NXS wins came in the fall.

RFK Atlanta Wins

1991-2 Martin Cup

1994-2 Martin Cup

1997-1 Martin NXS

1998-2 Martin NXS

2000-1 Martin NXS

2002-2 Busch Cup

2005-1 Edwards Cup

2005-1 Edwards NXS

2005-2 Edwards Cup

2008-1 Kenseth NXS

2008-2 Edwards Cup

2011 Edwards NXS

2012 Stenhouse NXS

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Daytona: Preece and Keselowski were unfortunately caught up in incidents in Sunday’s running of the Daytona 500. Buescher led the group with a 10th-place finish, with Keselowski finishing 26th and Preece 32nd.

Points Standings (17: 6th, 6: T18th, 60: T34th): Buescher sits 6th through the first race in the points season, with Keselowski tied for 18th and Preece tied for 34th.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Weekly Preview 2.19.25

By
Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: February 17 – 23, 2025

· NCS/NXS/NCTS: Atlanta Motor Speedway – Feb. 21-23

PLANO, Texas (Feb. 19, 2025) – After another thrilling Daytona 500 last Sunday, NASCAR’s three national series head to another drafting track in Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second race of the 2025 season.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NXS/NCTS

Toyota goes for sixth straight Cup pole … With the pole position run by Chase Briscoe last weekend, Toyota’s first Daytona 500 pole, Camry XSE drivers will look to add a sixth straight Cup Series pole position for Toyota this weekend in Atlanta. The streak dates back to Las Vegas last October where Christopher Bell earned the top starting spot. Should Toyota claim the pole this weekend, it would be its fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB experiences premier day at Daytona … Sunday’s Daytona 500 was significant for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, who had their best result-based weekend as a team with their three drivers finishing inside the top 12 positions – Jimmie Johnson (third), John Hunter Nemechek (fifth) and Erik Jones (12th). For Johnson and Nemechek, these results were their best as a part of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Heading to Atlanta this weekend, both LEGACY MOTOR CLUB full-time entries of Jones (seventh) and Nemechek (ninth) are inside the top 10 of the Cup Series points standings and look to climb up with another solid day in The Peach State.

Almirola returns to a GR Supra … In Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, Aric Almirola will pilot a Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota GR Supra, driving the No. 19. The Floridian made 14 Xfinity Series starts last season with JGR, scoring three victories, eight top-fives and nine top-10s. Almirola has made three previous starts at Atlanta in the Xfinity Series, with a career-best finish of eighth in 2011.

Jones back at home track … For the 14th time in his Xfinity Series career, Brandon Jones will race at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Atlanta native has one career top-five and four top-10s at the mile-and-a-half drafting track. A home race victory for Jones would give Toyota its seventh Xfinity Series win at Atlanta and first since Ty Gibbs in 2022.

Heim seeks to continue winning ways at home track … Like Jones in the Xfinity Series, Corey Heim is also back at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 22-year-old, coming off a win last weekend at Daytona, looks to capture his 13th career Truck Series triumph this weekend and second at Atlanta to couple his 2022 victory. Heim also enters the weekend with eight top-10 finishes in the last nine Truck Series races.

Breidinger, Ruggiero, Sawalich make Atlanta debuts … Toni Briedinger, Gio Ruggiero and William Sawalich head to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, each making their debuts at the mile-and-a-half. All three drivers are coming off another drafting track in Daytona last weekend, where rookie Ruggiero claimed a second-place finish in his first career Trucks start and for Sawalich, his fourth career Truck Series top-10 finish. And like last weekend, Sawalich will once again do double duty on Saturday, running the Truck Series race before driving the No. 18 GR Supra for JGR in the Xfinity Series later that afternoon.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Speedway Motorsports and Ticketmaster Partnership Powers Affordable Kids’ Tickets to NASCAR Races

By
Official Release
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  • Powered by Ticketmaster, Speedway Motorsports launches a new digital and social marketing campaign to promote affordable ticket pricing for NASCAR’s next generation of race fans
  • NASCAR race tickets for kids ages 12 and under are FREE to CRAFTSMAN Truck and Xfinity Series races and just $10 for NASCAR Cup Series races at 14 Speedway Motorsports race weekends in 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 19, 2025) – Powered by Ticketmaster, Speedway Motorsports is launching a new social and digital campaign promoting the most affordable kids’ tickets in professional sports. The campaign will spotlight $10 kids’ tickets for NASCAR Cup Series races and free tickets for children ages 12 and under to NASCAR CRAFTSMAN and Xfinity races and across 14 NASCAR race weekends in 2025, starting with the Feb. 21-23 Ambetter Health 400 race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Highlighting the incredible family experiences enjoyed by generations of fans across the NASCAR landscape, the campaign will feature “Kids’ Tickets Powered by Ticketmaster” branding reaching millions of fans across all Speedway Motorsports’ social, digital, app, website and e-marketing platforms.

Speedway Motorsports and Ticketmaster’s longstanding partnership has connected millions of NASCAR fans to the thrill of live racing through simple, seamless ticket-buying opportunities. This latest initiative ensures more young fans can experience live racing, while families benefit from accessible and affordable ticket options.

“There’s not a major league sports event in the world that provides more entertainment value than a NASCAR race weekend,” said Kevin Camper, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Speedway Motorsports. “For generations, NASCAR has been a sport where families make memories, and with Ticketmaster’s marketing and online support, we want every sports fan to know how affordable and easy it is to put a smile on a child’s face for every lap of the race.”

Tickets are on sale now. Fans can visit Ticketmaster.com to secure these specially priced tickets and explore other 2025 Speedway Motorsports events tickets.

ABOUT SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer, promoter and sponsor of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. Speedway Motorsports provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary.

ABOUT TICKETMASTER

Ticketmaster is the world’s largest ticket marketplace and the global market leader in live event ticketing products and services. Through official partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports teams, festivals, performing arts centers and theaters, Ticketmaster processes 600 million tickets per year across 35+ different countries. Ticketmaster is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV).

JR Motorsports — NXS Atlanta Motor Speedway Preview

By
Official Release
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JR Motorsports Xfinity Team Preview
TRACK – Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile quad-oval)
NXS RACE – Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 (163 laps / 251.02 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 5:00 p.m. (ET)

Carson Kvapil
No. 1 – Bass Pro Shops / Clarience Technologies Chevrolet

Kvapil 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 1

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 1

Laps Led: 0

Avg. Finish: 4

Points: 6th

Coming off a top-five finish in last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season opening event in Daytona, Carson Kvapil will make his Atlanta Motor Speedway debut on Saturday.

Kvapil has made two starts at 1.5-mile tracks in the ARCA Menards series finishing in the runner-up position both times.

Crew chief Andrew Overstreet sat atop the box for two races at intermediate tracks during the 2024 season with a best finish of fourth coming at Kansas.

Carson Kvapil

“This No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Technologies team gave me a fast race car last week for Daytona and I hope we can continue that momentum into this weekend at Atlanta. Since this is a track I haven’t been to before, Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and I have been working hard on our strategy to make sure I am fully prepared. I am looking forward to getting out there and putting everything we have worked on into motion. Ideally we can be battling for the lead at the end to get another great finish for Johnny Morris and everyone at Bass Pro Shops and Clarience Technologies.”

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Protect Your Melon Chevrolet

Allgaier 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 1

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 0

Laps Led: 11

Avg. Finish: 18

Points: 10th

Justin Allgaier has earned one win, three top fives and nine top 10s in 18 career starts at Atlanta in the NXS.

Allgaier’s lone victory came in this event in 2021 after starting sixth and leading 47 laps en route to the win.

Since the shift of Atlanta to a more drafting-dominant track like Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway, Allgaier has scored a best finish of seventh, coming in the spring of 2022.

This weekend, Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will carry the marks of the Protect Your Melon campaign which works in conjunction with JR Motorsports teammate Ross Chastain and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Every year, millions of Americans are injured or killed in car crashes and the Protect Your Melon campaign helps serve as a simple reminder for people to buckle up when getting behind the wheel of a car.

Justin Allgaier

“Atlanta has certainly been very interesting for this No. 7 team since the track has gone to a more drafting-style of racing. It’s become a place where anything can, and usually does happen. Thankfully, JR Motorsports has always shown up to drafting tracks incredibly strong, and I know that we are going to have a fast Protect Your Melon Chevrolet when we hit the track on Friday. We’re ready to get out there and see what we can do.”

Sammy Smith
No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet

Smith 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 1

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 0

Laps Led: 1

Avg. Finish: 24

Points: 25th

Sammy Smith has four NXS starts on the 1.54-mile Georgia track. He won the pole his first trip there in 2023 and followed it up with three top 10 finishes.

On speedways 1-2 miles in length, Smith has 32 starts under his belt with one win, five top fives, and 17 top 10s.

This weekend in Atlanta, Smith will debut the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet’s new branding and colorways.

Sammy Smith

“My crew brought a fast Chevrolet to Daytona last weekend and as a whole we executed just as we should have but there are parts that we can’t control and that’s unfortunately what got us. We’re going to reset, attack the week and turn our focus towards Atlanta. I’ve had great runs there in my career and with the preparation this JR Motorsports team is doing, I expect that we’ll be in contention to bring this Pilot Chevrolet to Victory Lane where it deserves to be.”

Connor Zilisch
No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet

Zilisch 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 1

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 0

Top 10s: 0

Laps Led: 1

Avg. Finish: 27

Points: 29

Connor Zilisch will compete at Atlanta for the first time in his NXS career in Saturday’s Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250, his sixth career start in the series.

Atlanta is the only 1.5-mile drafting track on the NASCAR circuit. Zilisch ran solid last weekend at Daytona, bouncing back from an incident early at Daytona to lead the race and was running among the top five in the closing laps before an accident ended his day.

Zilisch made two NXS starts on 1.5-mile tracks in 2024: Kansas Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. His best finish came at Kansas, where he scored a fourth-place finish.

Connor Zilisch

“I’ve never been to Atlanta before so it’s going to be a learning experience but I’ve watched races there in the past and have been preparing with Mardy (Lindley, crew chief). It looks like a fun racetrack and I’m excited to get there and really feel it out for the first time. I learned a lot at Daytona and I’m looking forward to this weekend. There’s no practice so I’m going straight into qualifying and straight into the race which is different from what I’m used to but I know this No. 88 WeatherTech team will bring a strong car to the track which will help me feel more comfortable.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Atlanta Motor Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway a combined 71 times in the NXS. In those starts at the 1.54-mile quad-oval, the organization has recorded four wins, 18 top-fives and 41 top-10s. The average finish is 12.4.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Connor Zilisch will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS-Byron/Bowman souvenir rig on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET.

Trans Am Series Race Preview: Sebring International Raceway

By
Official Release
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Sebring International Raceway
Sebring SpeedTour
Buy Tickets Here

Track Facts:
Opened: 1950
Length: 3.74 Miles
Layout: 17-Turn Road Course

Qualifying:
Saturday, February 22
3:45-4:20 p.m. ET

Race:
Sunday, February 23
10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m. ET
Race Length: 27 Laps/75 Minutes

Broadcast:
LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1
LIVE on YouTube
@TheTransAmSeries

Qualifying:
Friday, February 21
4:40-5:15 p.m. ET

Race:
Saturday, February 22
12:15-1:30 p.m. ET
Race Length: 27 Laps/75 Minutes

Broadcast:
LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1
LIVE on YouTube
@TheTransAmSeries

Green Flag for the 2025 Season

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli will kick off the 2025 season at the site of its inaugural race in 1966, Sebring International Raceway, as part of the Sebring SpeedTour. The challenging 3.74-mile track has hosted 29 previous Trans Am races and has served as the season-opener for the series every year since 2013. This weekend, Sebring will host more than 60 cars between the TA/GT race and the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, in addition approximately two dozen Historic Trans Am cars in the HTA races.

Watch LIVE

There are two great free streaming options for watching this weekend’s TA/GT, CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, and Historic Trans Am races. The events will stream live on Trans Am’s YouTube channel, @TheTransAmSeries, as well as on SPEED SPORT 1. SPEED SPORT 1 is the first network dedicated to free, live motorsports, presenting hundreds of live events and thousands of hours of premier motorsport content and lifestyle programming from around the globe annually. SPEED SPORT 1 can be watched on its dedicated app on Android and iOS, as well as Amazon Prime Freevee, PlutoTV, Sling Freestream and more. For more information on how to watch, click here.

Trans Am Hall of Fame

On Friday, February 21, the inaugural class of the Trans Am Hall of Fame will be inducted during a celebratory dinner at Sebring. The new Trans Am Hall of Fame was announced in November to honor the longest-running professional road racing series in North America. The inaugural class consists of 18 legendary drivers, team owners and series officials: John Clagett, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Mark Donohue, Chris Dyson, Ron Fellows, George Follmer, Ernie Francis Jr., Paul Gentilozzi, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Tommy Kendall, Roger Penske, Greg Pickett, Scott Pruett, Willy T. Ribbs, Jack Roush, Amy Ruman and Bob Tullius.

Three of the inductees will be on track with us this weekend: Wally Dallenbach Jr., (No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang), Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang), and Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette). Paul Gentilozzi will also be in the paddock as the owner of 3GT Racing.

Lyn St. James Named Grand Marshal

Lyn St. James will serve as the Grand Marshal for this weekend’s Sebring SpeedTour. St. James will give the command before the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race on Saturday, as well as Sunday’s Historic Trans Am race. An icon for women in motorsports, St. James became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of The Year in 1992, ultimately making seven starts in the race. St. James was also an accomplished endurance driver, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona twice, the 12 Hours of Sebring, racing twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and once at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The veteran of 53 Trans Am starts, she earned seven top-five Trans Am finishes and several IMSA GT wins. She also set 21 national and international speed records and was named one of the “Top 100 Female Athletes of the Century” by Sports Illustrated. A long-time advocate for women’s racing involvement, St. James is the co-founder of Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA), an organization devoted to supporting opportunities for women across all disciplines of motorsports.

Make-A-Wish Foundation Guest at Sebring

Joining us in the paddock this weekend is a guest from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who is being hosted by TA2 competitor Bob Accardo (No. 39 Make-A-Wish America/Cope Ford Mustang). On March 6, 2024, Kevin began a fight for his life with his first chemo treatment to battle Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The following six months were very tough, with severe side effects from his chemotherapy treatments. Nausea, frequent vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, and hives were just a few conditions that Kevin had to endure and overcome. In addition to the physical side effects, Kevin had to break his perfect attendance record at school, which he had maintained proudly since kindergarten. His strength and resilience prevailed, and on September 5, 2024, his prayers were answered when he received the wonderful news that he had entered remission. Now 16 years old, Kevin dreams of being a racecar driver. Kevin will be giving the command to start engines before Sunday’s TA/GT race.

Trans Am Drivers Powering Diversity

Five Trans Am Series drivers have been named recipients of the Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) Powering Diversity Scholarship, assisting them as they continue their careers in North America’s longest-running professional road racing series.

After winning last year’s SGT Championship, Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc. Chevrolet Corvette) will move up to the faster XGT Class with Sam Pierce Racing. Two-time TA champion Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) will mentor several of the younger drivers, as she once again returns to the Trans Am Series’ TA class with her family-owned Ruman Racing team. In Trans Am’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, Silver Hare Racing’s Rafa Matos (No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro) will serve as an additional mentor for the younger members of the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship class after winning last year’s TA2 championship. Nitro Motorsports teammates Julian DaCosta (No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and Tyler Gonzalez (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) will both utilize support from the scholarship to fight for podiums and search for their first wins in the TA2 Series.

Past Sebring Winners

13 drivers in this weekend’s field have previously driven to GYM WEED Winners Circle at Sebring International Raceway. Lee Saunders in the SGT class has the most Sebring victories by far, with seven wins dating back to 2014.

TA

Paul Menard, No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang: 2024

Wally Dallenbach Jr., No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang: 2023, 2022 (TAH)

Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang: 2022, 2021

Amy Ruman, No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette: 2015

XGT

Danny Lowry, No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT4: 2024, 2023

Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes AMG GT3: 2022 (GT)

SGT

Lee Saunders, No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper: 2024, 2023, 2020, 2019, 2016 (SGT) 2015, 2014 (TA3-I)

GT

Chris Coffey, No. 97 Traffic Grafix/Chill Out Motorsports Maserati MC GT4: 2024

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series

Thomas Merrill, No. 26 HP Tuners/Franklin Road/Cope Ford Mustang: 2021

Mike Skeen, No. 48 CUBE 3/Franklin Road/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro: 2020

Rafa Matos, No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro: 2023, 2022, 2019

Doug Peterson, No. 87 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang: 2014, 2013 (TA)

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge

Barry Boes, No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro: 2024

In addition to those who have won in the Trans Am Series, Roberto Sabato (No. 61 6th Gear Garage Ford Mustang) has won at Sebring in IMSA’s L2 class, and Matt Griffin (No. 67 Griffin Concrete Construction Chevrolet Camaro) has won at the track in SCCA.

Recent Success in the Sunshine State

In January, the SCCA Super Tour competed at Sebring, and several Trans Am drivers took part in the event, finding success at this weekend’s venue.

TA

David Pintaric, No. 57 Kryderacing Ford Mustang

Won GT1 Race 1, Third in class in GT1 Race 2

XGT

Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes MAG GT3

Second in class in GTX Race 1 and Race 2

Danny Lowry, No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT

Third in class in T1 Race 2, Fourth in class in T1 Race 1

GT

Jeff Lindstrom, No. 41 Griffin Auto Care Ford Mustang

Third in class in GTX Race 1

TA2

Barry Boes, No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Ford Mustang

Second in class in GT2 Race 1

Patrick Utt, No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro

Fifth in class in GT2 Race 2, Seventh in class in GT2 Race 1

Jared Odrick, No. 00 Black Underwear Ford Mustang

Won in GT2 Race 2, Fourth in class in GT2 Race 1

In addition to all of those who found success at Sebring, Tyler Gonzalez (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) won the MX-5 race at Daytona International Speedway on Rolex 24 weekend, driving from the back of the field after starting 14th.

Trans Am Connections in Daytona

The racing world’s attention has been focused a few hours north of Sebring at Daytona International Speedway, where NASCAR kicked off its 2025 season with the Daytona 500 last weekend. This year, several drivers in “The Great American Race” had previous experience in the Trans Am Series, including Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, Ty Gibbs, Justin Haley, Riley Herbst, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez. Of those competitors, Tyler Reddick, who competed in Trans Am in 2018, had the best result, finishing second in NASCAR’s biggest race.

In addition to the competitors in the Daytona 500, Trans Am alum Jesse Love won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, and the top-seven finishers in that event all had previous experience in Trans Am. The top-three finishers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, which was won by Corey Heim, are also Trans Am alumni.

Sunshine State at Sebring

There are 13 drivers who will be racing close to home in Florida this weekend.

TA

Wally Dallenbach Jr., No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang (Punta Gorda)

SGT

Patrick Utt, No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro (Riverview)

Lee Saunders, No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper (Lakeland)

GT

Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang (West Palm Beach)

Jeff Lindstrom, No. 41 Griffin Auto Care Ford Mustang (Lake Worth)

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series

Noah Harmon, No. 7 Streetside Classics/Flanagan’s Chevrolet Camaro (DeLand)

Tyler Gonzalez, No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (St. Cloud)

Jordan Menzin, No. 18 Performance Tech Motorsports Ford Mustang (Delray Beach)

Julian DaCosta, No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (Myakka City)

Rafa Matos, No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro (Boca Raton)

Roberto Sabato, No. 61 6th Gear Garage Ford Mustang (Bonita Springs)

Matt Griffin, No. 67 Griffin Concrete Construction Chevrolet Camaro (Howey-in-the-Hills)

Doug Peterson, No. 87 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang (Bonita Springs)

Champions Dominate the Field

Of the 23 competitors driving in this weekend’s TA/GT race, nearly half of the of the entrants are former champions, with 11 past title winners responsible for 20 championships taking the green flag in Sunday’s race. Past TA champions are defending title winner Paul Menard (No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang), Wally Dallenbach Jr. (No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang), Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Trench Shoring Chevrolet Camaro), Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) and Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette), while CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Brent Crews (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro) will compete for the TA title this year. Danny Lowry (No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT4) is a past XGT champion, while last year’s SGT champion Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc. Chevrolet Corvette) and former GT champion Billy Griffin (No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes AMG GT3) are also joining the XGT class this season. Lee Saunders (No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper) returns to SGT as a past champion, and Chris Coffey (No. 97 Traffic Grafix/Chill Out Motorsports Maserati MC GT4) looks to defend his GT title.

Brent Crews, Nitro Motorsports Joining TA Full Time

It was recently announced that 2023 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Brent Crews (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro) will race full time in the TA class in 2025. Crews, who leads the TA2 class in wins since 2022 and took home two-consecutive Young Gun Awards, became the youngest Trans Am champion ever at the age of 15 years, seven months and six days old. Crews will drive for Nitro Motorsports, where he won his title in 2023. In addition to Trans Am, Crews will also be competing part-time in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season.

CD Racing and 3GT Racing Bringing Pairs

For the first time since 2023, CD Racing will field be a multi-car team at Sebring. Chris Dyson will once again pilot his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang in pursuit of his fourth TA title, while Humaid Masood will get behind the wheel of the No. 21 allgram Ford Mustang, racing in Trans Am for the first time since COTA in 2022.

Paul Gentilozzi’s 3GT Racing will also unload two cars at Sebring, the first belonging to defending TA champion Paul Menard in the No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Jones will get behind the wheel of 3GT’s second car, the No. 31 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang. Jones, who has three previous Trans Am starts and is racing in the series for the first time since 2019, will be pulling double duty this weekend, competing in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway before heading to Sebring for Sunday’s TA event.

Tomy Drissi on a Roll

Tomy Drissi enters 2025 hoping to extend a four-race podium streak, which he has held since the series visited Watkins Glen International last year. He also drives into the new season with two new partners, Trench Shoring Company and Motul, in addition to welcoming back Franklin Road Apparel. Drissi has four top-five finishes in the last five years at Sebring, with a best finish of second in 2020. Drissi’s No. 8 Trench Shoring Chevrolet Camaro will compete alongside teammate Keith Grant at Sebring, who will pilot the No. 5 Trench Shoring Chevrolet Camaro. Grant scored his first TA class podium at Sebring as a rookie in 2023, and finished fifth in last year’s event.

Drissi is also pulling double duty this weekend, competing in Historic Trans Am. He’s piloting the No. 1 Chaparral Racing Chevrolet Camaro. Driven and built by Jim Hall, Drissi’s is one of only three of these cars that were built, and the only one known to still exist.

Bryson and Griffin Join XGT

PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship recipient Kaylee Bryson, who claimed the SGT title in 2024 and became the third female champion in Trans Am history, is bringing her No. 02 Logical Systems Inc. Chevrolet Corvette to the XGT class this season, competing for the title full time.

After making his debut in the class last season at VIRginia International Raceway, two-time GT champion Billy Griffin will be competing for the XGT championship in 2025, piloting the No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes AMG GT3. He will compete alongside teammate and two-time XGT champion Danny Lowry in the No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT4.

Paul Tracy Back in Trans Am

Paul Tracy returns to the Trans Am Series, driving for Chicago Performance and Tuning Co. for the first two events of 2025. Tracy will get behind the wheel of the No. 10 Race Cars For You Innovation IRC GT at Sebring and Road Atlanta, competing in the series for the first time in five years. The IRC team first showcased the car in open testing at VIRginia International Raceway last fall, then worked with Trans Am’s technical team to homologate the car for XGT class competition. Tracy and the team hope to expand the effort into a full-time championship run.

On a personal note, Tracy is coming into Sebring as a newlywed after marrying his wife Lisa on Valentine’s Day.

GT1 Challenge Makes Debut

Debuting in 2025 is the GT1 Challenge. The GT1 Challenge is a class that focuses on offering vehicles competing in the SCCA Club GT1 class a way to easily cross over to Pro racing in the Trans Am Series. The GT1 Challenge allows drivers to compete in a maximum of nine races per season, with their five highest points-scoring races making up their championship points total. The driver with the most points accumulated in their five best races will be recognized and awarded a championship trophy at the year-end Trans Am Awards Gala in November. The first entrant in the class is John DeGaynor, who will drive the No. 04 Speed Dream’n Racing Ford Mustang, a car previously raced by Trans Am Hall of Famer, Ron Fellows.

Matos Joins Silver Hare Racing

When the checkered flag waved at Circuit of The Americas, Rafa Matos (No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro) became the first three-time champion in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. The Brazilian driver returns to TA2 in 2025, but under a different banner. Matos joins Silver Hare Racing this season, a team he previously drove for in 2020, earning one win and six podiums in nine races. TA2’s winningest driver with 25 victories, Matos will be racing alongside new teammate Noah Harmon (No. 7 Streetside Classics/Flanagan’s Chevrolet Camaro). Harmon comes to Trans Am as an accomplished driver in the Spec MX-5 and MX-5 Cup series and is a freshman at the University of Central Florida.

Making Moves

In addition to Rafa Matos, a few other drivers are hanging their helmet in a new shop this season. Boris Said Jr. (No. 60 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), Julian DaCosta (No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), and Gian Buffomante (No. 95 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) have joined Nitro Motorsports, the team which has won the championship the last two-consecutive seasons. The trio will be joined at Sebring by Tyler Gonzalez (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), newcomer Mia Lovell (No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), Sam Corry (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), who won the Pro/Am Challenge race in his Trans Am debut in the season finale at Circuit of The Americas, Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), who is racing full time for the title this season, and Cale Phillips (No. 99 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), who is competing in the Pro/Am Challenge.

Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black Underwear Ford Mustang) has moved to TRB Autosport, joining Jacob Yesnick (No. 43 McLeod/Silver Sport/Sidley LLP Ford Mustang). Odrick will once again compete in the Pro/Am Challenge, while Yesnick will pursue the National Championship. TRB Autosport also has an entry in the SGT class driven by Patrick Utt (No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro).

TeamSLR Brings a Handful

TeamSLR heads to Sebring with a full stable, entering five uniquely-skilled drivers in this weekend’s event. 2020 TA2 champion Mike Skeen returns to competition this weekend, driving the No. 48 CUBE 3/Franklin Road/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro for TeamSLR. This will be Skeen’s first start at Sebring since 2023. Barry Boes (No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) returns to the Pro/Am Challenge to defend the title he earned on the strength of seven victories, including the season opener at Sebring. 14-year-old Tristan McKee (No. 28 Spire Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) will contend for the championship full time this season after making his debut in the SpeedTour All-Star Race alongside Scott Speed last year. Hendrick Motorsports development driver Corey Day (No. 17 HendrickCars.com/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) is making his TA2 debut, as is Carson Brown (No. 8 Pay Café/Ebb Logistics/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro), who was last year’s Asphalt Pro Late Model champion at Five Flag Speedway and recently won a pair of Super Late Model races at New Smyrna Speedway during Speedweeks.

G’Day to Thornburrow

Australian driver Edan Thornburrow is making his CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series debut this weekend, driving the No. 15 Owosso Speedway Ford Mustang for Adrian Wlostowski’s F.A.S.T. Auto Racing. Although this will be his first time racing in TA2 stateside, he has 72 starts in the Australian TA2 National Series, with a best finish of second in the championship standings in 2021. The 21-year-old, who plans to compete in about half the races this season, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Herne and Matthew Brabham, who have both found success in the Trans Am Series in the United States. Thornburrow, who was named the 2019 Motorsport Australia Young Driver of the Year, was the 2018 and 2019 Porsche 944 Champion, and won the Toyota 86 Racing title in 2019 and 2021 in his home country. Thornburrow hails from Concord West, New South Wales near Sydney.

Welcome Mia Lovell

This year marks the rookie Trans Am season for Mia Lovell, who will pilot the No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang full time for Nitro Motorsports. Adopted from China, Lovell grew up as a professional skateboarder and had never raced a kart or car until 2023. That season, she competed in the Toyota GR Cup and was the first female driver to finish in the top 10 and the fastest female overall for two seasons.

Young Gun Race

14 drivers competing at Sebring will be eligible for the 2025 Young Gun Award, which recognizes the top driver in the National standings under the age of 25 with a $20,000 prize at the year-end gala. Always one of the most competitive contests of the season, the award was won by Brent Crews in 2022 and 2023 and Thomas Annunziata in 2024. Below are all of the eligible drivers competing this weekend:

Noah Harmon, No. 7 Streetside Classics/Flanagan’s Chevrolet Camaro (19)

Carson Brown, No. 8 Pay Café/Ebb Logistics/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (16)

Tyler Gonzalez, No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (20)

Edan Thornburrow, No. 15 Owosso Speedway Ford Mustang (21)

Corey Day, No. 17 HendrickCars.com/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (19)

Tristan McKee, No. 28 Spire Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (14)

Julian DaCosta, No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (17)

Mia Lovell, No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (18)

Dominic Starkweather, No. 47 Beacon Building Products Ford Mustang (23)

Boris Said Jr., No. 60 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (21)

Sam Corry, No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (17)

Austin Green, No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang (23)

Thomas Annunziata, No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (19)

Gian Buffomante, No. 95 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (17)

Full Pro/Am Challenge Field

16 drivers are entered this weekend in the Pro/Am Challenge, the TA2 race-within-a-race which allows drivers to take their nine best finishes and compete for a championship. 2024 Pro/Am Challenge champion Barry Boes (No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) returns to the class, as do other 2025 race winners Keith Prociuk (No. 9 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang), Tom Sheehan (No. 97 Vixen Cycle Co./LTK/Cope Ford Mustang) and Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black Underwear Ford Mustang). New to the program—and the series—this year are Jordan Menzin (No. 18 Performance Tech Motorsports Ford Mustang), Maciej Tuniewicz (No. 29 New Granite & Marble/F.A.S.T. Auto Ford Mustang), Will Robinson (No. 51 DPS Racing LLC/Cope Cars Ford Mustang) and Matt Griffin (No. 67 Griffin Concrete Construction Chevrolet Camaro). After an incredibly tight points hunt last year, the large field means the Pro/Am Challenge will only get more competitive in 2025.

TA2 News & Notes

This year we say ‘Hola!’ to Valentin Aguirre (No. 12 Memo Corse/CAN/Elf Oil Ford Mustang), from Arrecifes, Argentina.

Adam Andretti will be pulling double duty this weekend, competing in both Saturday’s TA2 race and Sunday’s TA/GT race. On Saturday, Andretti will pilot the No. 41 Ultimate Headers Chevrolet Camaro, and on Sunday, he will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro.

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